FIVE
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"So you're pretty good at this DA stuff, right?" Britt asked, handing a fresh glass of wine to Jennifer Park. The music played loud around them, people were dancing, talking over the noise, sharing drinks.
She took hers with a grateful nod, watching him sip a whisky. "You could say that."
"What do you do when you're not DA'ing people? No wait - let me guess," he grinned, pointing at her. "You like… rock climbing."
She smiled. "No."
"Then… bungee jumping? I know a great place. We should totally do that some time, you and me - what do you say?"
She couldn't help but grin. "I've never done it - I'm too much of a control freak, I think."
"Oh come on, DA Park - you have to loosen up a bit," he teased. His head started to bob to the beat unconsciously. "Ok - tell me - what do you do for fun?"
She hissed slowly through her teeth. "Well…" There was a long pause. "Ahm…"
"If you can't name it right now then it's been too long since you had any fun," he frowned. "I have an idea. Why don't we put like a weekend in the calendar, and then you and me can go do fun stuff. Let your hair down, really go to town."
She shook her head. "That wouldn't be appropriate."
"Appropriate a-shmopriate," he scoffed. "You have to be careful - loads of people in your profession burn out when they're still too young. Late nights, constant weekend work - it gets to you. I know it wasn't good for my dad. If I can stop one person from turning into the workaholic sourpuss that he did then my life isn't a complete waste."
She grinned suddenly. "I think I had you wrong, Mr Reid."
"Britt!" he grinned, his hands out. "C'mon, try it on for size. Just once."
"Ok then… Britt," she grinned.
"There, see? You've just de-aged like five years because you did something fun."
She chuckled. "I can see this is going to be an interesting evening."
"Oh I am very sure it is," he grinned.
.
.
Amy sipped her wine, noticing someone lift a hand and wave at her from across the room. She waved back and then grabbed Kato's elbow. "Come with me - you have to meet someone," she grinned.
He just had time to whisk up his glass as she guided them through the dancing people. They broke through to the other side of the room and she paused them by two men.
"Well good evening," the taller one said, a very wide grin on his face.
"Doug! You look fantastic," she said. "New shoes? Are those the latest Tom Ford's?"
He glanced down at them. "Thanks - and yes they are."
"Oh listen to me," she tutted. "Kato - this is Doug from Support and Admin, same as me."
"Hi," Kato nodded politely.
"And this man here is Sean - my work brother," she grinned.
"Your what?" Kato asked, looking at the other man.
He leant forward, putting a hand out. "She means we work together very well."
"Oh," Kato managed, shaking his hand. "You all work together?"
"Well I'm across the room but we do end up working on everything as a team," Doug said. "And you're from the top floor, am I right?"
Kato looked around, the sudden perception of designer bags, suits - lifestyles - starting to press in on him. "I am really not," Kato mumbled. Amy glanced up at him, even as Doug leant closer to hear.
"Sorry, what was that?" Doug asked.
"Oh - he's not in the office a lot," she said louder to be heard over the music. "I mean, we don't see you much, do we?" she asked Kato with a smile.
"Uh - no. I don't even have an office," he agreed. "Support, mostly."
"I can imagine," Doug said with a little sigh.
Amy hid a smile. "Where are your dates?"
"Couldn't make it," Sean said, somewhat sadly. "Honestly, it's getting to be a pattern, right, Doug?"
"Tell me about it," Doug grumped. "If we have to attend one more party night together as each other's consolation 'plus ones'… I don't know what I'll do."
Sean chuckled. "Start giving out membership cards to our little support group." He stopped short as something caught his eye from the entrance. "Although… Doug, best wingman and faithful friend - do me a favour."
"What?" Doug asked, his ears pricking up.
"New employee - purple dress, two o'clock," Sean said. "You're going to introduce me - make me look good."
"This will cost you a drink."
"Done," Sean said. "Amy, Mr Kato - enjoy your evening. Doug is about to fix mine for me," he grinned.
"Good luck," Amy giggled, as the two men nodded to them and made their way to the entrance.
Amy watched them go, shaking her head. She let go of Kato's elbow, turning around to survey the room. He did the same, sipping his water. He seemed quite intent on checking the entire crowd as the music went up a notch in volume.
She looked up at him. "So… busy day?" she asked, over the music.
His eyes stopped scanning the crowd of dancing people and instead went to her. "Sorry, what?"
"Have you had a busy day? Seems like you're still working."
"Oh!" He turned to her deliberately, leaning his elbow on a narrow circular table just in front of them to make sure his entire attention was on her. "Sorry. Yes - busy day. Feels like it's not over yet."
"Well when you're not working… what do you do?"
"Me?"
"Yes, Mr Kato - you."
"Just Kato," he said. "Uh… I draw," he shrugged. "I like cars. And… Uh…"
"Like the ones in your notebook?" she smiled. "You're really good if you drew all those."
He looked at the table, feeling a tide of red flood up his face. "Well, a bit." He cleared his throat. "If you didn't come to this party, what would you do tonight?"
"I read a lot," she said. "I know that's a dying art but I like it. I've got a crime thriller on the go right now - honestly I can go through about three or four in a week." She sipped her wine. "Now you - what did you have planned for tonight until you had to come here instead?"
"Mahjong night," he nodded. "Me and some friends - we try to meet once a week. We start around seven and sometimes we don't finish until breakfast."
"Mahjong? The game?"
He blinked. "Do you know it?"
"I try to play it on an app but I don't know what I'm doing."
"Really?" he asked, surprised.
"Yes - look." She pulled her phone from her clutch and unlocked it, flicking through apps with her thumb. "Here - I'm terrible. Look at my losing streak. It goes too fast for me, and I'm still trying to figure out the rules so—"
"I can help," he said with a bright smile, plucking it from her fingers and turning it round. She watched as he frowned, pressing on settings. "This is not even in—. You want English?"
"Oh yes please. I didn't know you could change it - I couldn't get it to copy and paste into a translation app."
He ran through some other settings. "Oh - you have it on expert. You want it on easy to start?"
"Please."
He tapped and then turned the phone back round to her. "Here. Now you can read it and it will be easy, like starter mode."
"You are a genius," she gushed. "Thank you. I've asked loads of people at work but they didn't know how to help."
"I have a… an unfair advantage," he smiled.
She giggled. "So what else do we have in common?"
"We both work at the Daily Sentinel… uhm…"
She pushed at his arm. "Do you have a favourite book?"
"Uh… Feng Yun… by Ma Wing-Sing."
"Is that in English?"
"Sorry - no."
"Never be sorry," she said dismissively. "What's it about?"
He studied her for a moment. Then he wet dry lips, as if steeling himself. "Two warriors in ancient China - one is an orphan, the other is the real son of a warlord, and they have adventures."
"So tell me why you like it."
His eyes went down to his hand on the table, his other hand going to rub the back of his head awkwardly. "I am an orphan - since very young. So the orphan boy in the story was like me." He smiled at her suddenly, embarrassed. "Oh - I wanted to be like him, I mean."
"And have adventures?" she asked, somewhat sadly. He shrugged, tilting his head in a yes. She smiled. "That's a good reason - you know I think I like crime thrillers because I want to know who did it," she added. "Who looked after you until you came to America?"
"Orphanage," he said. "I had good friends - we are always in trouble, always naughty."
"I can believe that. And then?"
"Well… many things happened. I came to America - everyone says—," He paused to change his voice, making it deeper, more dramatic; "'You can do anything in America'." He shrugged. "I had many jobs, but… eventually I worked in a garage, fixing cars. I met Mr Reid there - Britt's father."
"Wow," she said, her eyes wide. "But… just you? No friends came with you?"
"Just me."
"You must have been lonely."
"Sometimes. But if I am alone then no-one can let me down."
She frowned. "That's a little…" She sipped her drink. "Don't you miss Shanghai?"
"Sometimes. But I like my work in America. I think… I like what I do now."
She leant her head closer to his. "I grew up in Colorado," she said in a quiet voice. He moved nearer to hear. "Then I spent a few years in San Fransisco. I didn't know what LA was like until a few years ago when I moved here. It's… weird."
"It is weird," Kato gushed, pleased.
"Ok - favourite car."
"The Bla—." He cleared his throat. "Uh… maybe… I would have… an antique like a Shelby Mustang. Or the big slow Cadillacs with all the chrome," he added with a smile.
"Seriously? You'd be fixing it every morning," she giggled.
"Then a Tesla. The model S from 2019 onwards."
"Nice," she blinked. "My old boyfriend used to work for them."
"Oh," he said, looking at the table.
"Back in Colorado," she said quickly. "He's not in LA - thank god."
He watched her look across the room, her face losing its smile. "Is that why you came to LA?"
"Maybe," she said. "I still like car workshops though - my dad was a mechanic, so his overalls all smelt of oil, or metal - you know that smell when someone's been welding but there's a bit of oil in the background?"
"Yes," he said, a rainbow of surprised happiness taking over his face. "I like that smell - smells like… like a comfort smell."
"Well there we go - something else we have in common."
He looked around, noticing there were now more dancers than drinkers. He gestured to the long black curtains at the back of the room. "You want some air?"
"Yes please," she said, waving at her face.
He held his elbow out and she wrapped her arm around it to navigate them through the room. They disappeared through the curtains to find a balcony. Once through and up to the railings, the music deadened somewhat by the fresh air and the cloth barrier, she breathed out and looked at the city.
"What's Shanghai like?" she mused, staring out.
"Not like this," he said quietly. "Bright lights, busy people… but… so different." He paused, watching the breeze try to re-arrange her bomb-proof hairdo. "Colorado?"
She giggled. "Well the bit where I'm from… it's sleepy. No bright lights, no excitement. Do you know, I never even saw the ocean until I was twelve. We never really ventured from Colorado, even though it was just… dusty and quiet and… parochial." She turned her head to look at him. "I don't think it would be… adventurous enough for you."
His head listed to one side as he thought about it. "What do you think is adventurous enough for me?"
"I could be," she dared, sliding a step closer along the balcony railings. "I mean…"
"Why me?" he asked.
"I don't understand."
He looked out at the view, and she watched his profile. "There are lots of people here tonight, and you work with many people, speak to everyone…" He looked at his hands on the railing. "You seem like you are not very confident, but you do all the confident things - and very well." He paused. "I don't think I…" His voice died. She put her hand on his, moving up closer. His eyes went up and found hers. "Something is… I have a… I've been unhappy about this all day."
"What?" she asked carefully. "Coming with me tonight?"
"No! —I…" He huffed, his brain searching for words. "I got a new refrigerator. And it makes me feel… guilty."
"Guilty?" she asked, confused. "Did you steal it or something?"
"It's new - brand new, never used. And… I don't have new things. I'm just a… I'm just the boy left behind - I lived in an orphanage and everything was temporary, all the time. One day a new friend, then they're gone - they have a new family. But not me. Always I'm the one left behind. So when I came to America and I have no money, just my clothes and my hands… everything is new to me here, so my things are… You might call them old or secondhand but to me they're new. So a new refrigerator is… I can't have that - not me. It's a waste. Someone else can have a new one because… I just want the used one, so I don't feel…" He shrugged, his eyes going down again. "I don't know the word."
She bit her lip, watching him, but he looked at their hands and didn't move. She squeezed at his fingers. "A lot of people feel that. Your head tells you you're not good enough, that you don't deserve good things." She wobbled his hand, making him look up. "But it's lying to you, Kato. You do deserve good things, and those people who left you behind? Maybe it was because you were too good for them - they weren't your people. The people you've found now - they're your people."
"Why do I think that…" He sniffed casually, his head tilting as he looked up. "Why do I think that I can tell you anything?"
She studied his face, hers taking on a slightly perplexed expression. "Maybe for the same reason that… I feel like… We only met yesterday, and yet… I feel like we've known each other for years." She smiled. "I think this is what my brother calls 'clicking' with someone."
"Clicking?"
"Yeah, like…" She shrugged. "We just started talking and… we like the same things."
"You don't care about…" He paused, searching for words. "Well… you don't care my English is bad?"
"Your English is not bad - now, my parents? Their English is bad. That's why they went back to Portugal." She squeezed his hand. "And I think I like how different we are. We're from such different backgrounds and yet…" She shrugged. "We both like books, and cars, and…" She leant her head closer, flicking her eyes up and down his face. "And I'm hoping you like me."
He managed a small, embarrassed smile. "Very much."
"Then… please kiss me."
His eyes went wide in surprise. "Now?"
"It stops me talking so much."
"Uh—"
Her face hovered closer as she smiled. He swallowed and dared to step closer - until something buzzed in his pocket. He tried to ignore it but it went again.
He stepped back. "Sorry. Work phone."
She smiled, her hand going down the arm of his jacket to feel the silk against her fingers.
He fumbled in his pockets, realising his hands were hot and possibly shaking just slightly. He cleared his throat as he fished out the phone and turned away from her.
'Britt
2 messages'
He scowled and walked away, back to the curtains. He unlocked the phone, tapping to get to the messages.
'IT'S ON. 10 mins dude'
He scrolled down for the next one.
'Ur getting it on with Amy am I right? High 5 partner'
His eyes rolled like pinballs in a new machine as he went back to the home screen and locked the phone. He shoved it back in his pocket. He spun back to find her still at the railings. "Sorry."
"It's ok." She watched him from across the balcony, folding her arms slowly. "Now… where were we?"
He looked around at the peaceful night scene in complete innocence. "Where do you want us to be?"
She grinned.
.
.
"Well it's that time," Britt said loudly, drawing a lot of people's attention. He waved a glass in the air, smiling around at everyone. "Sorry folks - party on without me. I've just got to make some calls and I'll be right back."
A man next to him looked at his watch. "At this time of night?"
"Hey - not everyone is on the US time zone, right?" he winked. "Keep it going for me - I'll be back!"
He whisked his way through the crowd, chatting and nodding to people as he went. Eventually he came to the end of the room and swished through a curtain to a door behind.
Jennifer nodded politely to a man still talking at her, but then put a hand up. "Sorry - excuse me for just a moment, would you?" she asked.
He nodded and stepped back, and she smiled and touched his arm before setting her drink down and making a beeline for the same curtain. She slipped behind it and found her nose inches from what appeared to be a heavy door. She felt around for the handle, her fingers tripping over it and pushing. The door opened silently and she stepped through without hesitation.
She heard a voice and turned to her right, following what looked like quite a clean corridor, except it was unfurnished. She tip-toed as much as she physically could in her high heels, before she paused and simply whipped them off. She hurried along, bare-foot, to the end. The voice got louder and then she heard a dirty chuckle. A chink of light was escaping from a door to her left and she veered over to it, setting her eye to the gap.
"Go get her tiger - you're not on the clock tonight," Britt was saying into his smartphone. "I'll handle the rest of it - you handle her." He chuckled again.
Jennifer frowned, listening carefully.
"What? No - I can do this," Brit protested. "Yeah I know but you're having a good time, right?" He waved his other hand around. "Look - just have some fun, ok? It'll stop you being such a cranky bastard in the morning. Trust me." He cut the call and pushed the phone back in his pocket.
And then he stopped dead.
He turned in the small room and looked directly at her through the gap. "Well hello," he said suavely. He crossed to her but she pushed the door toward him gently, opening it wider. "Who do we have here?"
"I was… looking for—"
"If you say the restroom I'll be really disappointed," he said, his face sad to the extreme.
"Ok, no, I wasn't looking for the restroom."
He grinned. "I get it," he said, putting his hands up in surrender. "You followed me down here, right? Hoping to get a little one-on-one time?"
"What?" she asked, surprised. "No, I—"
"It's ok, you can admit it," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "It happens a lot."
"Oh does it," she said flatly.
"Well… yeah," he grinned. "If you wanted this to be a proper date, you just had to say, DA Park."
She frowned. "Actually I was suspicious of who you were on the phone to."
"Of course you were," he said. "Let's go with that story, shall we?"
She stood back. "I think I'll be going now, Mr Reid. Enjoy your privacy." She turned and walked off.
He stuck his head out of the door. "Hey now - don't go!" he called after her. She stopped dead, her back to him. No - go go go, he thought frantically. I've gotta get my superhero outfit on and beat you back to the room!
She waved a hand over her shoulder, then stalked off.
He blew out an immense sigh, pulling back into the room and closing the door. Then he hurried over to the far wall and opened a trunk, pulling out a long coat, a hat, and a familiar green mask.
.
.
Jennifer slowed as she came to the curtain obscuring her entrance back into the room. Loud, thumping music was still coming from behind it and she leant her hand against the wall to keep her balance as she slipped her shoes back on. She took her phone out of her purse and dialled the only number in it.
"Yes."
"I think he's clean - for now. He sneaked away to make a phone call but I think he was just being someone's wingman."
"What do you want me to do?"
"We'll… keep the file open. Just because he didn't pull anything tonight doesn't mean he won't later."
"Yes, Miss Park."
"Thanks Martin." She cut the call and put the phone back. Then she straightened her dress, flicked her hair over her shoulder, and tried to pretend she had not just found her professional guess wide of the mark. She opened the door and swished the curtain back, sneaking back into the room.
The overhead lights were now down, only coloured spotlights sweeping the crowd of dancers and drinkers. She walked through carefully, finding herself at a spare table across the room. Looking around, she was surprised to find not only a waiter approaching her with a tray of drinks, but just about everyone having a good time.
She took a tall thin glass from the waiter, thanking him with a smile, and then forced herself to relax. As she took in the people all around her, she heard the laughter, the talking - saw the smiles, the happiness. She knocked the entire flute back in one go, realised it was actually real champagne, and shrugged to herself. As she turned to set it down, the waiter re-appeared and offered her another one.
"Why not?" she said, swapping glasses and sipping the fresh one. Something in her unwound; she realised something had changed and she was simply shedding hours of work-related thoughts with each sip. I think I've just de-aged another year, she heard herself think. She smiled, shaking her head. Maybe Mr Reid was right about this downtime thing.
A woman was bouncing through the crowd, giggling and pulling someone else by the hand. She stopped by the table and turned, seeing the DA and standing back one. A man bumped into her back, prompting him to laugh and put his hands to her shoulders to stop himself bowling her over.
"Oh wow - you're DA Park!" she called over the music.
She smiled. "Hi - er…?"
"Amy," she said, an excited flush to her cheeks. "Amy De Souza."
"Hi, Amy De Souza."
The man's head came round the side of Amy's and his eyes went wide. "DA Park," he blurted.
"Hi. Mr De Souza?" she hazarded.
"Oh - no," he said quickly, his hands springing off Amy's shoulders. "Uh - Kato."
"Ah, Mr Kato - I hear you're Britt Reid's Executive Associate in all this?" Jennifer smiled.
"Just Kato," he nodded.
Amy stepped closer to her to be heard. "Are you enjoying the party?"
"I think I actually am," Jennifer replied, surprised. "It's been a long time since I've been to a good party." She looked the two of them up and down. "You?"
"It's had its moments," Amy said smugly, spotting a waiter and rescuing two flutes from it. She passed one to Kato, who just blinked at it, lost. Amy grinned. "Now you can't tell me you don't drink champagne," she warned him with a wagging finger.
"Uh - not a lot, no."
"Well try that. If you don't like it, we'll just… find something else," she grinned. He sipped it, then almost coughed it back out. He managed to cover his mouth but he was grinning. Amy rescued the flute from him. "You alright?"
He waved a hand up, swallowing but still smiling. "It has bubbles."
She laughed and Jennifer did too, surprising herself as much as the others.
"You poor sheltered boy," Amy teased. "Next time you can try any drink on me in retaliation."
"Next time?" he asked, surprised.
Amy looked at Jennifer in clear disbelief, then shuffled both flutes to her left hand. She grabbed Kato's hand in her right. "Excuse us. We need to talk," she announced, pulling him away.
Jennifer laughed, shaking her head, as the two of them disappeared back into the crowd. "Maybe tonight was just what I needed," she said to herself, finishing off her champagne.
A loud crack split the air. She froze; I know that noise.
"Everyone be cool!" shouted a thick voice.
The music stopped; the lights snapped on.
Someone gasped and pointed to the stage at the end of the room. "It's the Green Hornet!"
Everyone turned to look; Britt was pulling at the brim of his hat to shield his eyes, obviously just as unaccustomed to the suddenly bright room lights as everyone else.
Someone screamed. Abruptly everyone was pushing and shoving, trying to get to the exit at the opposite end.
He fired again, into the ceiling. "I said be cool!" he raged. "Stop! Stand still!"
The crowd slowed.
"Now I want the new DA, and I want her now!" he shouted. "Get her up here or I'll just start seeing how many of you I need to go through to find her!"
A taller man suddenly stepped in front of her. "He's already killed one DA," he said over his shoulder. "Keep back, miss."
She watched the back of his shoulder, open-mouthed. And then she put her hand on his arm and guided him to one side. "I will not," she said firmly. She put her hand up, drawing people's attention. They began to move out of her way as she made her way to the stage. "I'm here!" she called. "Don't you hurt anyone!"
"Ah - there you are!" he called. He waved the gun in a beckoning gesture. "Come on, hurry up - get over here!"
She got closer to the stage. He levelled the gun at her. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded.
People were backing away from her, clutching at friends, dates, tables.
Britt waved her closer. "Because I can. Because I don't want your kind in my city!"
"My 'kind'?" she snapped. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"No - I meant - I meant decent DAs!" he said quickly. "I want ones I can control, not goody two-shoes likes you ruining everything!" he added. Her eyes narrowed but she said nothing. He waved at her again. "Now come on! Get up here!"
She looked at the stage, found it just about too high to climb, and looked to the edge. She walked around it slowly, her steely gaze on him as he fumed impatiently. She found the side stairs and climbed.
He lurched over and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to the centre of the stage. She yanked her arm free angrily, stepping back.
"Now let this be a lesson to any of you who think you're safe in my city!" he shouted. "You're not! This is my town, and if you think some new DA broad can stop me? You're wrong! This is what you get for being in the way of the Green Hornet!"
He turned. In one fluid motion he had lifted the gun and pointed it straight at her waist.
She froze in place, a look of desperation on her face.
He fired.
Jennifer stumbled back, her hands to her dress.
Everyone screamed. People started pushing again to get out.
Amy felt herself pushed and shoved along with the crowd. She gripped tight but her hand was losing Kato's. She grabbed for it, wrapped her two hands around it, as she felt his fingers trying to clamp onto hers. Suddenly she was yanked to a stop off to her right. She looked up and found her shoulder in his chest.
"Oh thank god," she breathed. "Don't let go!"
People stampeded the exit. Amy looked around, found only a handful of people still in the room, unable to move. She looked round at the exit. Kato watched the stage, feeling himself pulled slowly backwards by Amy's steel grip.
Britt pushed the gun into a holster inside his coat, turning to go.
But Jennifer lifted her hands from her dress to find them clean. She swallowed and raised them. She checked her dress and found it unmarked. She looked at Britt. "Uh… I think you missed," she said weakly.
He spun back to look at her.
Kato, still being dragged backward toward the doors, felt his free hand lifting of its own accord. It slapped into his face and dragged itself downwards. Slowly.
.
